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copper iris

Rhizomes

compact, greenish brown or sometimes red-tinged, many-branched, with ringlike scars of old leaves, 1.5–2 cm diam.

Stems

simple or sometimes 1–2-branched, solid, 3–9 dm.

Leaves

basal arching distally, blade bright green, lightly ribbed, linear-ensiform, 6–10 dm × 1.5–2.5 cm;

cauline subtending branches, blade 4.5–6 dm.

Inflorescence units

1–2-flowered;

spathes unequal, outer green, 10–12 cm, herbaceous, inner 6–8 cm, partly scarious.

Flowers

perianth copper colored or reddish brown (yellow in forma fulvaurea);

floral tube hollow to ovary, 2–2.5 cm;

sepals widely spreading or arching downward, obovate, with 1–3 prominent veins, 4.5–5.5 cm, glabrous, often with lighter yellow basal signal;

petals spreading or declining with sepals, 4–5 × 1.5–2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex deeply emarginate;

ovary green, hexagonal, 1.5–1.7 cm;

style convex, not keeled, 1.8–2 cm, crests reflexed, rounded-triangular, margins shallowly toothed;

stigmas 2-lobed, lobes pointed, margins entire;

pedicel 2–4 cm.

Capsules

remaining green even after seeds mature, oblong-elliptic, hexagonal in cross section, with 6 equally spaced ribs, short beak, 4.5–8 × 2.5 cm.

Seeds

in 2 rows per locule, irregular, flattened, 10–15 mm, corky.

2n

= 42.

Iris fulva

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Shallow water or low wet areas
Distribution
from FNA
AR; IL; KY; LA; MO; MS; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Iris fulva hybridizes with I. brevicaulis to produce I. ×fulvala Dykes, which has reddish purple sepals; with I. giganticaerulea to produce I. ×vinicolor Small; and with I. savannarum to produce I. ×cacique (J. Berry) N. C. Henderson.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 392.
Parent taxa Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Hexagonae
Sibling taxa
I. bracteata, I. brevicaulis, I. chrysophylla, I. cristata, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, I. hartwegii, I. hexagona, I. hookeri, I. innominata, I. lacustris, I. longipetala, I. macrosiphon, I. missouriensis, I. munzii, I. orientalis, I. pallida, I. prismatica, I. pseudacorus, I. pumila, I. purdyi, I. savannarum, I. setosa, I. sibirica, I. tenax, I. tenuis, I. tenuissima, I. tridentata, I. verna, I. versicolor, I. virginica
Synonyms I. fulvaurea
Name authority Ker Gawler: Bot. Mag. 36: plate 1496. (1812)
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